


If a thing loves, it is infinte.

by Lunayh



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Angst, Awkward Romance, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Torture, Slow Burn, Torture, Touch-Starved
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-12 16:01:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28638192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunayh/pseuds/Lunayh
Summary: There once was a man, feared and respected. Loved and hated just the same.There was life and death, pain and happiness.But despite every terror there was on the mortal world, there were some unholy powers, trying to rule.But what should be ruled, if there was no one left?There was a group of Hunters, known and led by the famous son of Sparda, Dante.The Devil May Cry.But what of the Legends if they go mising?Heaven, Earth and Hell, what would be the missing piece in this chaotic mess?
Relationships: Kyrie/Nero (Devil May Cry), V (Devil May Cry)/Reader, Vergil (Devil May Cry)/Reader
Comments: 8
Kudos: 26





	1. Hell on Earth

The world was a _mess_.

Where once had been peace and the wonder of creation, was only despair and terror now. Angaelic beings have watched over the mortal realm long enough. Demons only caused chaos, destruction and pain. All they cared for was ruling the world only causing despair. No matter how often humanity had been at the brink of utter destruction, there always was someone to take a stand. One of the most honorable ones had been the Dark Knight Sparda. Had he once been the right hand of Mundus - the king of the underworld - he realised that justice needed to be brought to the world and rebelled against his king, defeating his army and sealing him away along with his own power, leaving him on the human world.

To take revenge upon Sparda, the Demon King ordered his loyal monsters to elimnate Spardas family, murdering his kin. During this attack, his mortal wife Eva got killed, the twins she had born and raised for a few years survived but lived through the trauma differently. And neither of them had a pleasant memory of it. Just loosing everything. Home and family. Years have passed and while one of the brothers became a danger for the world always seeking for more power, the younger twin became a hunter - later creating _Devil May Cry._

Hunting Demons and fighting his brother over and over again that was something that never changed, no matter how many years passed. But of course even this time peace didn't last forever.

And again the world needed someone to save it. And one of them was Dante, the now legendary Hunter. Earning himself quite a name over the past decades as a proud Son of Sparda, wielding the Rebellion and mastering many weapons over the decades. A new demon King alone would have been not a big deal, not for Dante if there wouldn't be that gruesome Demon Tree, now taking a hold of Red GraveCity. Emerging from the ground, raising high into the sky and slowly taking his childhood home apart. Dante did not take this job alone. By his side were Trish and Lady, the most dangerous Women the world had seen so far. If there was someone out there to cut the tree down, it would be them.

But for once, the Son of Sparda went missing.

And that murderous tree was still standing, sucking the blood out of the humans living in that city and as much as the military tried to protect the mortals of Red Grave, their strength was far from enough. And whatever manged to survive the roots, probably got devoured by demons or killed by debris and everything that got thrown around. But if the Qlipoth would collect enough blood, it would grow a single fruit that was forbidden and powerful. Fullfilling the true desire of Urizen: Endless Power, making him the new true King over the Underwold. But also it was rare. Only once every thousand years it could grow.

Over two thousand years ago it had been harvested by Mundus, and the tragedy that followed then lead to this day. But without the Devil Hunter, how should they prevent the tragedy to repeat itself? Maybe mankind never learned from it's mistakes... But for the divine and cursed, there was no such rule. As they remembered it all. Stored in ancient tomes and memory, never to be forgotten. Always to be told, even if mortals no longercared, They forgot so fast, life always passing by in a blink.

But not everything was lost. It was just a matter of time and perhaps a young Devil Hunter needed, who was desperate to beat the Demon on his stupid throne, polishing his ugly face. One failure was enough for the kid named Nero. Even after being called a 'Dead-Weight' he tried to help those that couldn't protect themselves, but for that he had to get stronger first. Recover. He was not all alone, yet it might took a little longer than he wanted to, knowing that this was not his final goal. He wanted Urizen. But after loosing his right arm, there was a lot for him to get used to.

And while the impulsive boy cursed Nico and her way to drive that van, the annoying screeching of a bird echoed through destroyed buildings over broken streets and people turned to dust.

"Ey, V! Ey, **EY**! Are you listening?", Griffon complained, landing on a broken door that was about to break in, caused by the weight of the monster bird. "Of course.", the thud of a closing book followed and the slender man moved into the direction of the bird, accompanied by the constant sound of his silvery cane, hitting the ground to support his steps.

"There's so much pollen here, I might be starting to be allergic!", the bird continued loudly and faked a sneeze.

"But as long as there might be a chance to find someone who is alive, we can buy the boy more time." " _Time, time, time_. Always the same chatter, You gotta move! Maybe we should get a _vacuum_. Ey V, can ya use one if I find one? Nah..Whatever. No time for that, r-rrrright? ", the annoying voice askeed and distanced itself from V, the door finally breaking down as he left his fomer spot and revealing another room that was abandoned and covered in dust and pollen, the remainings of a couple was laying on a bed, their bodies curled around each other, trying to comfort themselves in their very last moments. V just silently passed the room, watching the pair dissolve into a cloud of pollen. It was all Urizens fault. So many lost souls, innocent humans forever gone, who would remember them? For a while it was all quiet and calm - until there was Griffons voice once more.

"Yo! V! You gotta see this!" Silence. "Seriously! I think someone's alive!" That actually made him hurry at least a bit. V knew that he certainly wasn't in shape to run around like the boy Nero. It actually took him long enough, that Griffon met him halfway, urging him to move faster. "Hurry, _Shakespeare_." The building was too fragile to bust through walls, the risk to injure or kill whoever survived was simply too high and V was on a 'Be-Nice-Trip'. Perhaps they couldn't save everyone, but every single soul that survived, was one less to feed the Qlipoth, even if he was not really the biggest fan of.. helping. It was simply odd for him, Griffon didn't really understand that. Didn't matter, he had a contract with V and did as he said.

His cane scratched over the ground now and then as he made his way over the rubble, trying very hard to not fall over his feet as he barely had the strength to keep up that fast. The screaming of Griffon got louder with every step, that bird certainly growing impatient with every moment that V didn't show up. Griffon flapped his big wings in front of a door, yelling annoyed as the black haired man finally made it to his side. The thing that had kept Griffon from the potential survivor was a door. V rolled his eyes and raised hsi cane to tap against the door. "Are we playin' '' _Knock, knock'_ ' or what? Now is not the time,V!", The Bird teased V. But there was no sound coming from that room, not a single reaction. A black giant cat manifested in front of him and dashed against the door. It had been quite stuck, the frame no longer in shape but at least the door open.

And this had been the only option to get a look inside. He had _tried_ to open it the normal way. But with a malformed frame and all the roots around it of course wouldn't be that easy. V huffed as he finally entered the room, having a quick look around. It had been used as an ballroom, he mused. A few big round tables at the side, surrounded by the equal amount of chairs. Unless they were flipped around, destroyed or pierced through by the Qlipoths roots. The giant chandellier in the middle of the room was no longer intact, half of the luxurious golden branches were wrapped by roots , a few glass shards below it, silvery petals and to Vs surpris: fresh drops of blood. Griffon was flying around and stopped in front of a tall window that was halfly covered by curtains. The drops gathered,until there was stain - as if something had been dragged along. More roots blocked the way outside, but he assumed that whoever had been a victim of the Qlipoth, was outside most likely about to die. Even if the blood was not complely dry.. If there was hope..

The painful scream of a woman pulled him out of his thoughts and made him pick up his cane once more, Griffon already looking for a clot of blood that could help them to make it through. Not in this room. But perhaps in the one below, as some of the roots had made their way through the ground. If they hurried, they might made it in time, finding whoever was standing against the Demon King as well. Chances never were big, but they had to start somehwere, he would meet Nero soon enough. A little detour would not change much, if he was honest. Shadow and Griffon at his side he hurried out of the room again, Shadow dissolving into mist below his feet to make V move without effort and much faster than before. Every second did count. Another scream, followd by a grunt. Metal that was hitting against a solid surface, Over and over again. But with time the beating got less, rapid. As if someone was loosing their power or the will to fight back. It took him a good while to actually reach the exit of this place, having to face a few nasty demons on the way, but of those he and familiars quickly took care of and finally were able to proceed and stumble outside, walls behind them cracking and breaking down as the support of the roots slowly vanished, now that they were cut off from blood sources. It was bright outside, the sun still fighting against the looming shadow that was cast by the growing demon tree, clouds and rain usually controlling the mood of the day. So it was indeed a surpise that at least for once the sun made it's way through and reached the ground.

And there you were, in the middle of group of Empusa, blood dripping down the right side of your face, a deep cut hovering over your brow. You certainly had seen better days, like everyone who was alive lately in Red Grave City. Your hair was a mess, sprinkled with dirt and blood and stuck to your face. And it was you who had been fighting, the weapon of choice a rusty pipe that nearly was as long as your entire arm. But to be fair, against the sheer amount of enemies you barely had a chance and every kind of weapon would do. Countless bruises showed up wherever your clothes had been ripped into shreds, your arms and legs suffering from deep cuts as well. It was not exactly a surprise that a civilian wouldn't make it among the Empusa. But it also explained the lack of your strength.

The pipe slipped from your bleeding hands and you forced youself to kneel down and pick it up, smashing it with a feral scream into the next Empusas head. V had the urge the help so he did send his familliars to support you. Those beasts were not a challenge for Griffon or Shadow, but they had to be careful not to injure you by accident. Your reflexes were so slow and it probably was just the adrenaline that kept you standing. " _Ahah!_ ", Griffon laughed and smashed against one of the demons, making sure to avoid your arm as you still tried to hold your ground. For a human you didn't do so bad. It could be better, but considering that you were a mere mortal in that mess of this city this was outstanding. With the help of Shadow and Griffon it did not take long and the fight was over, your breathing uneven and fast as the adrenaline still rushed through your veins. You nearly dropped your weapon of choice as Griffon sat on top of it, eying you closely.

"So Missy, why aren't you out of this city?", the bird asked and you seemed unfazed by the fact that there was a speaking bird. But if there were armies of demons attacking a city - a speaking bird should be the least of your worries. "No _time_." you panted and tried to brush some of your hair back but only made it worse. Ah right, the blood. "Perhaps you should leave now, while you can.", the young man suggested and you turned to the raspy voice, eyes staring at him.

"Your bird...is speaking, Sir.", was the reply you gave him as the said bird landed on his outstretched inked arm. For a while he held your stare, before the corner of his lips twitched up into a smile. "That he does indeed.", the bird ruffled his feathers and tried to present himself proudly. But you barely watched the bird, trying to flex your fingers and try to get a solid grip around the pipe again.

"But it would be best if you take your leave as soon as possible. We can offer you an escort, if you wish.", the man insisted while the bird complained that they had no time for that. But the man just assured the strange coloured avian that it was fine and you breathed through. "I am capable of taking care of myself, I am sure you have something else to do..", a polite decline but your muscles were sore and the cuts needed to be tended to. If there was a spot that wasn't close to falling apart you actully could take a minute. Running water would be great. And bandages. Maybe you should have thanked them. But your mood was as low as it could get. These insects were disgusting. And bug spray did not exactly help. A rusty old pipe wasn't working that well either.. "Let's go V! Missy doesn't need any help and the boy's waiting for us."

You wanted to wave them goodbye, wishing them a safe journey. You wanted to assure them that you could manage. But the ground started to shake and rumble below your feet, the street tipping to the side as another root made it's way to the surface -looking for another source of blood to feed the Tree. But while Griffon pulled V out of danger, you weren't so fast. The fair skinned man turned around as soon as he had solid ground below his feet again, risking a look to see if you made it as well."Oh shit, V. Guess that's it for her." Your upper body was pierced by one of the roots, the bloody tip facing downwards, your life essence slowly dripping down the plant. The impact left no air in your lungs to scream as there just was the shock and pain. The pipe creating a clattering sound as you let go of the weapon, closing your hands around the sharp end of the root as you tried to pull yourself from the pointy end, desperatlly forcing your muscles to make it work. No, you were not done yet. There was no fucking way that you would be stuck on a root and bleed out, No. Fucking. Way. V and his familiars moved again, hurrying to find the source of the root and destroy it. Even if Griffon was pretty sure that you wouldn't survive this. No one would survive that, humans dried out in no time and fed the Qlipoth by that.

" _Slice them_." Shadow moved quickly through the horde of monsters, Griffon cackling as he unleashed his power upon the enemies. You didn't know where they went but after a felt eternity, you lost your balance as the root dissolved and released your body. Coughing and spitting out blood you sank on your knees, watching the blood pool around you. The taste on your tongue was sweet and coppery, your breathing uneven. "Shit.", you cursed and blinked desperately to keepy our eyes open. You were well aware that if you closed your eyes now it would take long to open them up again. It was getting so cold. So dark. So painful. Slumping to the side you felt blood plastering your skin, starting to dry as you slowly drifted off. You couldn't give up now. There was so much that you needed to do. So much that you wanted to get done. You were going to be fine. Not. But there was not a minute that you could waste on that thought. You couldn't give in. Death was not a option.

"Ey, Shakespeare! She is still breathing!" A warm hand gently moved your chin to the side and your eyes fluttered open once again. Dark green eyes looking down at you. Was there the hint of a smile? Indeed. "Don't worry." What a gentle voice. Maybe it did sound a little different. Maybe just now, maybe it was something familiar... It was hard to tell with the drumming in your head. And while you felt incredibly light and comfortable right now, there was something that just seemed wrong. You didn't notice how the old phone in the distance was used to call for a Van that would pick you up, as he had more..pressing matters to follow. But there was something calming in his voice, as he nearly promised you that you would be fine. And while he waited, sitting right next to you Shadow curled around your form kept you warm company. V pulled the book from his jacked and started to read for you. Voice soft and melodic it was absolutely calming to listen. Neither V or Griffon knew if you would survive this and In case you would loose your life here, he at least stayed by your side reading poetry to you. Sometimes, even if only for a short moment of being wake you thought that he sounded as if he was sorry. But then there was the melodic tone again, enevloping you like a blanket, helping you to drift into so much better moments. Now and then a breeze graced your skin, whenever Griffn circled around to check for the Van or your state. What was it now, that made you cling to your life? It was your goal. Your memory, your dream.

"Seems like she doesn't want to die. Reminds me of someone. huh.", You wanted to return something, but your lips didn't move as you wanted to and your tongue was heavy. Your entire body was sluggish and unable to follow even the easiest command. At least somtimes you managed to move the thumb of yours. Just a bit forth and back, trying to focus on the nerves to not loose consciouness. That at least was a battle that you managed to win - no matter how much this man was reading to you. Another felt eternity passed and then even you could hear the sound of brakes, a car that rushed over the broken street and just came to a stop mere centimeters away from you. You would have been unable to move anyway. But that V at least hadn't seemed worried about that part. The sound of the cane retuned and stopped just right next to you.

"It does seem like she can make it." Did he sound relieved? It was so hard to tell right now. "Yo, chickee- out of my way!" Once again you felt even lighter than before, noticing the scent of cold smoke that now surrounded you like a cloud. Your feet bumped against a wall as you got carried somewhere, hearing a woman swear over and over again. At least she didn't try to make it worse, considering the state you were in anyway. "No _peeking_!" The arms that held you before awkwardly let go of you as you were placed on some sort of bench, your head hitting the rest for the back with a dull sound. And there was another curse from the woman as she tried to have a look at your wounds.

"This Lady had been hella lucky," Your forehead started to burn as something was applied on your cut, followed by a gauze. Same for your arms and legs. Tiredly you groaned and forced your eyes open, it took a good while to focus on something. The room was filled in a big cloud of smoke and the lightning was everything but good for the eyes. But it didn't take long and you noticed at least where you were. Inside a car: a van. And the woman you looked at seemed friendly. Or surprised that you woke up so soon and stared at her. "Mornin' Sweety. You should take a good nap and I'll drive that Van to the border of tRed Grave, Here's no place for ya."

As much as you wanted to insist, a blanket was laid over you, carefully tucked into your side and it was so heavy and warm.. You didn't have an interest in fighting back anymore. It was so warm and cozy and the pain slowly faded. Still you noticed the constant chatter between the woman and the bird. Now and then the voice of the man breaking through the silence. But you weren't surprised that it was not quiet for long. The door to the Van got closed, a lighter was used and then the engine of the car started to howl. It didn't matter that you were supposed to sleep, your mind tried very hard to stay awake. And in the end, you lost. The next time you woke up, the car was no longer making a milkshake out of you. You felt much better than before. The pounding in your head was gone and the pain in your chest as well. Your skin itched caused by all the dried blood.

"Ey, sleeping beauty is awake!" You slowly tried to sit up, only to be hit with a towel right in your face. "take a shower, sweetie. Just go to the back of the Van." The woman introduced herself as Nico, before she started to fiddle around with a box. Besides the towel she also handed you bandages and some clothing that was not your size but at least it covered more of your skin, that what you were still wearing right now. "Thanks..", you muttered, overloaded with all the stuff that was given to you and bumped your head on a cabinet as you tried to get up. Oh great. The bird started to laugh with a cackling sound and you just growled weakly while squeezing yourself through the Van. Shower..Shower. Ah! Hidden behind that corner. It took a while to arrange yourself, telling the bird to not even dare to peek. V - apparently the guy that had saved you, didn't seem to be type to do something immodest. But the Bird.. Tsk. Stripping out of your clothes you stepped inside the shower, playing around with the handles to adjust the temperature of the water. While trying to find the perfect setting for yourself, you took of the bloody bandages. The skin underneath was mostly smooth, the tissue of the your skin had been knitting itself together pretty fast. Only a few old scars showed up on your arms, legs and between your shoulder blades. The only scars that you still could feel.. But at least you managed to keep them out of the sight of strangers, so no one dared to ask.

Finally bare you used the water, working your hair with something that was supposed to be shampoo. But it took nearly forever to even get the all dirt out of your hair. The water remained red for a good while, just slowly turning lighter as the water turned cold. Leaning your forehead against the wall you breathed through, allowing the cold water to run over your back, the steady feeling of water drumming on your skin was able to comfort you. You couldn't even remember when you had your last shower. It didn't matter if the water was warm or cold. You just wanted to feel clean, wash all the gore and blood away. You could not stay here forever. Even if the thought was temping, so you hurried to clean yourself up as fast as possible and picked the towel to rub yourself dry. This probably had been the best shower you ever had taken. Or at least in the last few weeks. Reaching outside to grab the clothes you stared at the bird and the bird stared right back at you. Was that thing serious? Throwing the blanket at that thing you cursed it, promising it to make some soup out of it as you harshly grabbed the clothes and slammed the cabin of the shower again. Empusa? No problem. But a Demon Bird that had been waiting infront of the shower for you to finish?

Creepy as fuck. With damp hair and dressed you made your way outside and crossed your arms in front of your chest., judging the avian with a look, that made him flee with a screeching sound and landing on the shoulder of his master. "Whass' up, Missy? Afraid to join us?" Well, that didn't work as planned..You certainly wouldn't tell the bird that an apology was in order.. Instead you turned your attention towards the woman at the drivers seat and smiled grateful.

"Thanks for the shower..and the clothes. I will return that kindness to you." "It's fine, Miss. Got the boy to pay for me, ain't that right, V?" The man just huffed and agreed quietly, but didn't look up from his book. He simply turned the page and hit the demonic bird with the length of the cane to stop him from doing more nonsense. Or you really would make some soup out of him. Nico took a pull from her cigarette and leaned over her seat as she eyed you while puffing out some smoke.

You hated the smell, but she had cared for your and still planned to drop you off at the border of the city. As if there was a way for you to leave this place. You weren't done yet. No. The new Demon King needed to be stopped. And there still were people out there that could be saved. And you were able to protect yourself... Just not like this, "Lookin' much better without all the blood.", Nico hummed and eyed you really closely. Did she notice? The eyes behind the round glasses were sharp, but if there was something your host saw, Nico didn't mouth it all.

"And your overall state seems to be _fine_. You recoverd fast,", the mysterious man mused and you knew that you had to think of a story about that really, really quick. Unless they let the topic drop. By the looks of it he had a contract with demons. That you could see clearly.. But desperate times...

You shook of that thought and turned back to Nico who just inhaled deeply to start talking. "We'll move on tomorrow. If ya want, take a walk outside. V needs to clear the street for me." "Why don't you **do** that yourself?", the Bird asked and ducked as Nico threw some packaging at the Bird, who simply dissolved into ink and got absorbed by V's body, the small box meeting black hair. He didn't look all to happy with that situation, but you decided to indeed take a walk outside and leave them alone with the discussion.

It was darker than before, cloudy and even a bit chilly. The Van was rusty and severally damaged, now that you actually had a chance to have a look at it.

With a sigh you tried to fix the pants that you were given. Loose fit at least.. But maybe you needed a belt for them soon. Unlike the Van, the air smelled like rain. You couldn't help but inhale deeply. It certainly wasn't smart to get out with damp hair, but a cold in times like these couldn't be worse than demons and Trees from the Underworld. The street the Van was parked in was meant for one way only and there were some roots in the way, ah - the ones V had to get out of the way.You wondered how far...Oh. Nevermind, you could see the tree from here. A few fragile buildings left and right, cracked ground and so many inncoents that were dried out and leaving only shells behind. The bodies would dissolve fast enough and there was nothing you could do. Only keep the fallen in your memories. How many families were ripped arpart? If the Gates of Heaven would open for the victims?

Walking around the Van you hummed a familiar tune, until you were interrupted by a cloud of black ink, slowly building itself into that bird from before. "So..Miss.", you leaned against the Van and looked up to the Demon, his wings nearly hitting your face as he started to fly in front of you. "What is it, _chicken_?" "You're not human, are ya?" Raising a brow you crossed your arm in front of your chest and looked up to the bird. "What makes you think so?", was the only reply he would get. Griffon cackled and sat on top of the Van, ruffling his feathers proudly. "Your not dry like a raisin", he squeaked and used his beak to hit your head. As if to play 'Knock-Knock' .. Did his master not know about that birds own mind?

"It runs in the family." I was not even a lie. Just not the entire truth. But there was no reason to explain yourself to a Demon. "Nah, Nah. Not good enough, you hear me? You might fool the others, but you can't follow a Demon. Not the **mighty** Griffon!" That saved you the introduction. _Griffon_.. Didn't ring a bell in your head. Leaving the spot at the Van you took a few steps and turned around to face the avian, the hint of a smirk on your lips. "Smart little bird. But does it matter? There are more important matters to focus on." He cackled and there was electricity in the air, his position towards you didn't seem to be friendly at all. "Need to know if you cause any problems for V. _So_?" His eyes focused you and something was shifting in the air. Demons. "Listen, Demon.. We wish for the same. And now get your master, things are getting ugly."

The street indeed filled with all the nasties, you were unable to count the amount of demons, but thankfully V was leaving the van and regarded you only with a look, telling you to stay inside. "You just recovered, it might be best...to sit this battle out." "Don't worry..V. - I should be fine., I can help." "You can't be serious, now I have two watch you both?! I'm not getting paid enough for this shit!" This time you smirked for real, but didn't even plan to go back inside. That bird was right. But thankfully he didn't know about your origin or the abilities that lurked deep within you. There was more to this world than just Devils and Demons.

It was time to bring back the light to this city.


	2. Cursed

There was quite the fascination and more importantly the need to fight demons just after you had recovered. V didn't even question it. After all: If you wished to get so easily hurt again, he was the last one to get in your way. You spotted Shadow and Griffon slashing through the horde that approached from the north, V standing a bit behind and watching the macabre scenery . It was not uncommon that demons could spawn everywhere, blood plastering the ground as if it was rain. The stench was filthy and burned in your nose, the bile slowly building up in the back of your throat. The scent of rain no longer was able to keep death at bay all caused by rotten bodies between house walls and car wrecks, everything else that was disgusting just seemed to have piled up in that city right now. In an open space it wouldn't be as bad as it was now - But this was not the only reason that made your stomach turn. The summoned demons weren't exactly smelling like a spring breeze either. Maybe you should recommend them a shower or the shampoo that Nico had in the van. But as far as you knew the spawns of hell, they weren't the ones for talking. Maybe you could beat that in their brain. If they would at least _have_ one. The rain that just started to fall was a beggining. Not solving the entire situation but it would made it harder for demons to move. Mud was sticky. You could come up with a working idea. Use your swiftness against them..

There was just _one_ problem with your perfect plan.

You were here without a weapon. It probably would have been too much to ask for someone to bring that pipe from earlier.

If you could just.. _Just._. It had been _decades_.

You weren't sure if you could tap into that kind of power anymore, as it was ripped out of you like a shard of your soul and you felt cut off from your heritage. And yet.. _Yet_ you haven't been killed by the Qlipoth. There had to be some spark left that just needed to be ignited again. What if you could all out for it, for one last job? For one last duty?

V certainly could hold his own, not bothering about you and while you were caught in your thoughts something moved into your line of side. A cackling laugh and a foul curse followed as Griffon dashed into the group of Demons in front of you. Alright - someone had been watching over you, _whoops_.  
"What's up, Princess? Forgot how to fight, eh?" Lightning erupted out of nowhere, the flying Demon moving swiftly through the ranks of monsters before circling around you once and returning to V in a flash. The growl of the feline demon did sound dangerous as Shadow attacked, but thes hout that came from the Van was even outshining that.  
"Yo, fuck off you creeps!" Nico. There was no time to look for a weapon now. You had to work with your bare hands as there were no real options avaibale right now. You had loved that pipe dearly. Nicely balanced, not too heavy. But it just had been a rusty pipe and not a sword or anyhing that by law was considered a weapon. Sprinting around the Van you watched Nico lean out of her window pressing a burning cigarette into the head of an Empusa. Even if that was somehow effective.. There was an entire group left- just for you.

V had moved further away from the Van, cleaning the way out of the street. Alright. Rain dripped on the van creating quite the epic atmosphere for a fight, and there was the blue lettering on the side of the car now flickering uneven. _Devil May Cry_.

"Ey, Miss!"

Nico handed you a shovel through the window and you just smiled at her grateful, before yanking that thing around and splitting another beasts head into two. Perfect! Some of the Demons had weapons on them. Deadly and ugly at once. That was not fair, who gave them the right to wield giant blades or scythes? Seriously, that much for being brainless insects. But you moved a bit faster than these things. Even if Nico would have to get one or the other scratch out of the van after the fight, you really had tried to keep that blade away from the car. Rolling yourself to the side you used the handle of the shovel to parry a hit, leaving a footprint in that ugly wobbly stomach of the demon to win some distance. Easy.

But as soon as it stumbled back, the color of its skin changed into an oddly shade of purple and you were sure...that this thing was certainly pissed about your boots. Or the imprint you left on it.

Especially now that it was trying to hit you hard and often, you were surprised and glad that this shovel was not fully made of wood. Whatever Nico had build there - it was holding the attacks. You really needed a weapon but this shovel was fine, the end of that tool did a good job at something it wasn't designed to do. Disgusting, work and certainly not clean but still a good job. If someone ever wanted to split the head of such a thing in half you clearly could recommend this thing.

The battle noises from V and his demons moved even further away until there was a really **loud** rumble. Whatever had been focused on attacking you before, had its's attention now fully turned to V and that..giant blob that crashed down from a portal and smashed everything beneath it into a demonic pulp. And even from the distance you could notice one big change. V's hair had turned fully _white_. It was such a strong contrast to everything that was moving around here that it was fascinating you and got your attention. So a human that made contracts with demons - you hadn't been sure before... But now you could clearly see it. You didn't dare to ask how _that_ demon was called, but that thing was giant and it looked like a nightmare.

Your fascination made you nearly loose your focus, but you regained it soon enough, thanks to Nico. She yelled at you..or the demons. Immediately you tuned around, swirling that shovel in one nearly graceful move and impaled a demon on the dull blade. The sounds would be pretty satisfying, if they wouldn't be so disgusting.  
And at some point you just hoped that that was it. But no. Of course there were more. So much more. And bats. You hated bats. Those flying bastards did explode if you weren't fast enough.

And burned skin smelled nearly as bad as rotten bodies. A scent you would never forget. It had burned itself into your brain, just like the scars that you carried on your skin. A pain that could be never forget or the day that had caused it. A tragic memory, that you were cursed to never forget. The ability might have been a blessing for others, but the memory alone pained you. It was worse then physical pain. And something no one could understand. They haven't been there. It had been just you.. you alone. You have been abandoned and cursed.

It was hard to fight the bats. They were fast and flying. But thankfully not as painful as the grounded demons. Unless their bellies were just getting bigger and bigger - ready to burst. You moved aside in the last second, covering your ear as good as you could with your arm. The sound was not as bad as imagined, but the ground was still shaking from the impact.  
At least that flying pest took a few others with it straight back into hell. Where they rightfully belonged to.  
But you also knew, that they would always come back. And that only meant one thing, that there was a damn portal. And there you thought the portals could only be created by a sword of legends. Yamato. A devils weapon, created by the legendary Sparda himself. And the one to wield it.. _Vergil_. The elder twin brother. So you had to see this to an end. You had to make sure, that this was not true. That this was some mistake - a wrong in history. The pain in your chest made you heart ache. Yhou needed to shove that thought aside.

Vs battle perfectly was under control. Even if he now and then caught himself watching you. Making sure that one demon wouldn't slice off your pretty head or to see if you struggled. You had been injured after all. And your face.. It did look familiar to him, that kept his otherwise focused thoughts company. The picture of a gentle smile, behind a wall of dark clouds and memories. Something the human part of him had long tried to forget, banish it from his thoughts. So it could not be. One of the last pieces that had held him together, after defeat and defeat.. Was long gone. How many years had it been now? Maybe two decades, maybe more? It could not be. But after so many years even his memory could be false, maybe it was some part of him that was clinging to that piece of hope. But perhaps you were just a distanced relative.. Maybe a younger sister of someone he knew.

"V! Watch out!", Griffons claws grabbed him by his slim shoulders and a few feet away so his body wouldn't get hacked into two. "My-My - V. What's wrong with you?" V growled quietly and focused back on the fight. He better cleared this as soon as possible. There was just one tiny piece missing. And thanks to the help of his familiars the fight on his side was over soon. He risked another look in your direction. His eyes pinned to you, how you moved in the rain to dodge or attack. 

"Pin'em to the wall.", the man growled and Shadow lunged forward, the head of the feline turning into a dangerous weapon and pierced through several demons pinning them indeed to the brickwall to your left. V followed up, his familiars being unable to finish these creatures off, as it seemed. But you - You could help with that. V was walkinga little too slow for your taste. His body indeed fragile. So you did sprint over the rubble of the street, tightened your grip around the handle of the shovel and slammed that tool right into the chest of the first demon. V was by your side, using his cane to impale the other beasts. Every move was perfectly planned, elegant. Nothing compared to the man you had seen walk before. He seemed like a different person now. The way he focused on the fight, to adjust to your movent and bring a swift end to the battle. It was fascinating. You could feel the heat from his body at your shoulder. So close, he was so close. Wiping the blood from your hands you breathed through and cast a smile towards V, proud and happy. Even Griffon laughed now. And the giant cat? It purred and walked around you for a minute, rubbing it's head against your leg The urge to touch the fur was there and you just couldn't resist. So your hand sank into that fur, running over the strong neck of the cat, right behind an ear. Cats liked to be scratched. And this one was no different. Just a bit bigger.. and deadlier than the most common felines you knew.

"Shadow seems to be found of your touch, Miss." You still smiled at that and made sure to scratch the other side as well, so the demon could lean its big head into your palm and continue to purr satisfied. You didn't dare to risk to upset Shadow now. "Even a demon cat can't resist.", you mused and looked at the Man before you, holding your smile. He supported his upper body with the cane again and had a short look at the Van, before his green eyes met yours. Something about his look..made you hesitate. But in the end the corner of his mouth just twitches up and he held out his arm for Griffon to land on. "What a fight! Missy can really hold her own. If she's not pierced by that murder roots. Or is daydreaming", the bird nearly chirped in delight and you still wanted to smack it with the shovel. But you decided to return it to Nico before the temptation would be overwhelming. And at least for a while the street would be calm. Fine by you. That gave you time to work out the adrenaline rush that still kept you on your feet. And perhaps your thoughts requiered some sorting as well.

"Oh Miss, forgive me if I may sound rude, but I never asked for your name.", V's voice was so calm. Even more as he was so close to you now. Your name.. Your name. Your mouth went dry and your tongue felt heavy. It had been years since you ever used your real name. And you weren't exactly fond of using it anymore as it just provoked bad memories. So you had to think of something. Something no one would worry or ask about. Maybe a name that was fitting. You had to hurry anyway otherwise you would keep being eyed with too much interest. And you couldn't risk to be asked the wrong questions. You were horrible in lying.

The first thing that crossed your mind and that could probably work left your mouth before you could waste another thought. It all happened in the blink of an eye. "Call me Sera, if you like."

Not the best choice, but the first and that seemed to be fine, sounded like a normal name to you. No suspicious looks or anything like that. Just a tiny smile from V. Sounded like a real name then. Unlike.. V. But you didn't ask and so did he. It was accepted and that was everything mattered. Besides, who could possibly claim to know your real name anymore?

There was no one left.

It fit well to keep up the facade you had build many years ago, all the walls you had build up around. No one would suspect a thing. But that was one part of the curse. But at least one that you picked for yourself. It had made things easier. To be part of shadows and flame, without ever beeing recognised again. Not even by your strongest enemies.

Shoving all the thoughts aside and forcing them into a box in your brain you stretched and noticed the look that V gave you. You couldn't quite place it, but besides the Demons that V was the host from.. there was something else that was odd. Maybe you would figure it out soon. Such intense eyes... If your paths would just ever cross again, then you could ask and learn.

"It is nice to meet you, _Sera_ ", he greeted you then with his voice, the words just falling from his lips as if he was reading poetry to you. How could a voice sound so melodic and yet... raspy? The green of his eyes was capitivating, fitting so well to pale skin and dark hair. But you didn't focus on that for long. Nico was complaining about something again. And you really were not interested to be evacuated out of the city. And somehow you had to find a way to prove it to Nico and V without causing any trouble.

You didn't know them so well, but knew that if you would be helpless they most likely would drag you out of the city by your feet. ... Not exactly a thrilling thought, if you were honest. But you have been able to fight with a freaking shovel. But with a weapon this would have been so different.. Oh with a real weapon. This would have been over in mere seconds. But what did you have since entering this forsaken place? A pipe and a shovel. But a sword - _your sword_..

That would change everything. Frustration nags at you and dismissing it was not so easy. It was a haunting part of you. A confident smile ghosts over your lips again and you turn to Nico. Maybe you could lead the attention on something else "I saw that workshop in the Van.. what are you tinkering with?" The rain nearly washed your voice away, your clothes already wet to the bone. That much for the shower.

She flashed you a devilish grin and waved you inside. "I'll show ya." V just gestured you to go ahead, a small nod of his head - a wave with his hand - and then you entered the Van once more, just in time. As Heaven did send even more rain down on earth. It wouldn't have made much of a difference, but the safety of a roof over your head was quite alluring now.

Nico already was at the working space, pulling out some prostethic arms as it seemed, explaining that she build them for her partner who was out in the field and supposed to meet V very soon. So he had lost his arm... and was still fighting to defeat the Demon King? This boy was either mad or insane. As if it would be so easy. But in the same moment.. Everyone who was able to fight that Monster could be of use. Either in defending the city and the innocents, or trying to kick that Bastards ass. "They're really well done.", you honoured her work and looked at the arms fascinated.

All the same, but very precisley done. But not made to last forever a shame. It was nice craftsmanship. "Yeah, whenever I get my hands on demon stuff.. _pow_! Things happen." She showed you sketches, happy about the interest you showed in her work it seemed like she didn't get enough praise for her work. But Nico really knew what she was doing. Hah.. If you just had some money to pay her. Then you probably would leave this place with a weapon that could keep up with V's demons. Oh..they certainly would fear you. But nothing ever could compete with the weapon that had been forged in divine flames. The thought alone made you shudder in excitement and it seemed like your body was remembering very well, the muscles in your hand working as if they could wield it again.

_Elysium._

How you missed to wield that rapier again. But you had lost it, just like everything else that was connected to your past. That only made things so much worse.. You literally owned _nothing_. Even the clothes you were wearing now were not your own. And it maybe wasn't so nice to ask for something after they gave you so much already. So you bit your lower lip, dragged it between your teeth and released it after you decided that you certainly wouldn't speak out loud what you had been thinking. These people were kind enough to help you. You would find another way to fight the demons. They didn't have to know. That was the only thing you really couldn't help with right now. But you supposed that if you would find some demon parts they would make an fantastic gift for Nico. And V.. Maybe something to shut the avian up. Nico nearly danced around you, as she made her way back to the drivers seat, kicking the jukebox on the way. And that thing actually started to play some music, you had thought it was just here for decorating purpose. As she sat back in her seat, another cigarette was lit up and you straightened your shoulders.

You never would get used to the fascination of smoking. It was expensive and the smell.. It remained everywhere! V raised his cane and moved to the side so you could pass and sit down. By now the rain was just pouring down against the Van and you leaned against the rest for your back to stretch your legs a little. The battle hadn't been that long, but they still ached a little and everyhing was just _wet_. Your body was no longer used to all this. Being up and around all the time, always aware for your surroundings. Fighting was even less practical, but here you were. Leaning your head into your slightly bloody palm you watched V as he unpacked his book again and opened a random page in it, taking his time to absorb whatever was written inside. To your surprise the book was completely dry.

Your eyes wandered to the left and you spotted the bird on the jukebox, trying to clean his feathers, leaving drops of cold rain everyhwere when he shaked his wings. Demon or not - he still tried to impress someone. You wondered who it could be. Before you could be caught watching him, you looked at Shadow who laid on the ground around V's feet and purred comfortably. At least he woudn't get cold feet like that. It was hard to believe that a deadly Demon like Shadow, who could turn itself into any kind of shape - was in fact just a big kitty. An amusing thought. Didn't seem so demonic now.

"So, Sera? Did I get that right?", Nico started and your attention wandered towards her once more, the cloud of smoke around her head slowly dissolving as the had opened the window at least a teeny tiny bit. With a confirming nod you agreed, someone had been listening. "Where are you from?"

"Fortuna.", you answered right away, maybe not thinking about your answer for long enough.

"You're pretty far from your home." Was she getting suspicious? Hopefully not. You just started to like her, "I was here..for personal business. Didn't expect a demon tree to show up out of nowhere." You tried to make it sound normal. But there was nothing normal about the Qlipoth in the middle of a city. Personal business.. It had been just a feeling. Nothing else. A spark of hope maybe. But that would be the best way to call it.  
"Good thing that Devil May Cry is taking care of that matter. V is supposed to meet Nero soon to help the others." Others? "Nero?", you asked and you simply sounded interested. "Yeah, pretty cool dude - the partner I have been talking about. Too bad you couldn't meet him. " So... That explained a few things. Why else would someone fight in this mess? "But he's kickin' Demon ass.", she explained proudly and you looked at V, who had his attention on you again. V started to tell you about Devil May Cry and Dante Sparda. Of course you knew the stories. And that apparently this Nero was part of Devil May Cry as well, hunting Demons to earn money. Didn't sound so bad. Maybe that was something you should consider...if anyone would survive the tree and the arisen king. So meeting Nero had been the pressing matter to defeat the demon called Urizen and hopefully not die on the way.

Quite the unrealistic goal if you looked at his physical state that was everything but a walk in the park. Nico started the engine and laughed, apparently she had spotted a route that was mostly demon free.

"You better want to hold on.", V warned you and only two heartbeats later, you knew why. You had expected a lot. But the way that woman was driving that car during massive rainfall? And there you have been, trying to not leave a single scratch on the surface, only for her to run the car right through a group of demons - without hesitating even for only a minute. If you wouldn't have been sitting, you most likely would lay in the Jukebox right now. Desperate you grabbed the armrest of your seat, holding on for dear life.

"Are there no seatbelts?!", you asked after another heavy bump and looked at V - still calmly reading his book . At least the grip around the Cane had tightened and he was trying keep his balance, showoff.

This was going to be the hell of a ride and the manic laugh from Nico was not helping at all. " _Nope_.", the way she popped the 'p' made you shudder. But it seemed like they had to make haste, as the world seemed to end very soon. No one said it out loud, but every single day they wasted was one closer for the Demon King to claim victory for himself.

"You know, now that I think of it.. I don't need to be delievered to the border of the city." Did it sound desperate? Maybe. A little. You just wanted to survive this trip in the car. "That saves us some time, Missy.", Griffon said before returning to laugh. Of course the bird had no trouble. He had wings and could fly. You were the only one who was struggling with Nicos driving at the moment. At least you had managed to find a way to use your feet to stay seated. Did she plan to kill you all?!

It felt like forever, but the horror was over after nearly half an hour. You needed fresh air and solid ground under your feet - which wasn't avaiable at the moment. The city was still beeing ripped apart. At this speed....there wouldn't be much left to save. You exhald as Nico stopped the car and tried to loose the cramp in your right leg. It had taken your entire strength to not fall from that seat or scream in fear. You even had been holding your breath now and then. Especially during harsh turns or when the car was sliding over the wet street.

" _Where did you learn to drive?_ " "Come on! It's not that bad!", Nico insisted and you rolled your eyes at that. Yeah, right. You weren't dead, **Yet**. Risking a look outside you tried to take in where you were.

You could see the big bridge from here. With demons on the way. Maybe half an hour by foot. But that was not the direction you were looking for right now. That big fucking Tree on the other hand.. How would anyone be able to cut it down. If the roots already reached the surface of the mortal World..

From the corner of your eye you noticed that something was flying towards you. Small, dark... you caught it in time. Some Energybar-thing. Questioning you looked at Nico and she shrugged. "You haven't been eating since V found ya. You could use some carbs." You thanked Nico, while she shoved half a bar right into her mouth. You still decided to break your bar in two and offered V the other half. He certainly _needed_ those carbs. He seemed a little confused about your offer, showing you the bar that Nico gave him. "You need it a lot more. Trust me.", you assured him. While you left him no choice, V took your half and bit into it and chewed slowly, you decided to do the same, your stomach finally protesting and complaining about the lack of food. You still couldn't process that someone was so kind to help you out and not asking for anything in return. You sighed while chewing on the sugary treat and enjoying it way more than you should. After everyone had been eating up, V bid you farewell.

He had to move on as Nero was most likely waiting for him and he didn't want to be _that_ late. After all the world depended on it. You looked after him and wished him good luck, telling Griffon to keep his eyes on V. You didn't understand his reply, but you knew that he would make sure that V was surviving. He needed a host. Same for Shadow and that giant blob from before. You only noticed now that without thegiant demon his hair was all black again. Unlike before.. His skin had changed as well. Less ink than before... Caused by the demons? Maybe, if you would meet him again you could ask. That was another point on the list then.. If that was something you actually could ask without sounding rude. It only woke your interest. How could a human body host so many demons? Maybe that was the reason for him to be so awfully thin.

Now with V gone, the Van was awkwardly quiet now, the rain had died down by now, but you decided to enjoy it for a moment longer. Peace and quiet. Who knew when you could have that again? Nico was on her next cigarette and you waved in front of your face, trying to get rid of the smoke that wanted to get into your nose. You wondered why Nico was here and not driving around with the car and not crushing demons with it, as she apparently had no problem to do so . In the end you just asked her, otherwise you would not recieve an answer on that. "See sugar, I'll wait for Nero to call me."

Apparently she would run the car through the city to his meeting point and pick him up whenever he requiered her. Seemed to work oddly well. "Thanks for everything so far Nico. I hope I can see you again." "What, you're leaving me?", she asked and raised her eyebrow.

"You just recovered. And we're in the middle of nowhere-" "I still have personal business here. And I try to attend to them.", you interrupted her firmly. That was something that could not wait, no matter what. In the end, your goals could be very much the same if your biggest fear showed up to be true. It would be just a little complicated from now on but you certainly could manage. And off alone you wouldn't have to watch out for anyone else. And this time you wouldn't get skewered by Qlipoth roots that at least was the plan you had.

You got up from your seat and stretched as far as the van allowed it. "Well don't die out there!" Nico didn't stop you, that mentality you welcomed right now. You nodded once and bid her farewell , forgetting that you wanted to ask something about V. Next time it was then. Opening the door you stepped outside, inhaling the air that reminded you of the rain from before. Everything just smelled so clean and fresh after it, it was a bit chilly. That made you feel alive again. After another deep breath you closed the door to the Van of Devil May Cry and made your way through the streets, the roots had caused quite some damage, leaving you no choice but take a longer route as planned. It was impossible to drive here anyway. So many dead people.. Your heart was heavy as you passed a few buildings.

Not that far from your current positon you could hear something fall into deep water. Right. There had been some flooding as well, the former rain not helping with that matter either, if everything was clogged and could not drain.

As if the entire situation wasn't bad enough, the distant growling from Demons made sure that you kept your guard up. Danger was wherever you went. You knew that. It always had been like this.

And yet there was an odd feeling in your chest as you walked through the ruins of an destroyed building. The smell of blood was no longer that thick and heavy in the air, thankfully washed away by rain. But there was something else that crawled into your mind, making your breath hitch, the hairs on your neck standing straight. Not caused by the cold that was slowly sinking onto the bones. The clothes Nico had given to you were providing enough warmth for now - even wet.

No.. the chill that went down your spine was different. And it went so smuch deeper than anything that had hurt you in the past twenty-four hours. You knew that something was off. No demons have been attacking you for solid _five_ minutes. They feared _it_ as well. And they were damn right to do so.

You felt it approach long before a human should be able to, the wind carrying a glowing feather right in front of your face. You picked it out of the air and turned it between your fingers until you decided to close your hand around it, the soft plume secure in your plam. It was the sound of strong wings made your steps slow down until you came to a halt. Another shiver went down your spine and you could nearly feel it, reach out for the core of your strength. So close- so _damn_ close..

"You have been running long enough, _Traitor_." The voice behind you was not from this world as it was as cold as it was gentle. There was no emotion in it and yet so much feeling as if it could be overflowing with it. But you didn't turn around fully, a smirk spreading on your face as you risked to look over your shoulder. The soft glow of six wings made you nearly sigh in awe. Somehow you had missed that view, but not like this.  
"It took you long enough to find me.", you just replied aloof and felt a rush through your body. Adrenaline. You knew it would be best to run. But how to outmach a Seraphim, that could fly so much faster than you could walk?

"It is time for you to be destroyed." "Didn't you say that the last two times aswell?", you replied, clearlny knowing that you were provoking the angel as you slowly turned around, fully facing the being that could be straight out of a fairytale.

Silver, long and beautiful braided hair, crowned with a golden circlet, shining golden armor around wrists and legs, a breastplate that laid over a long white tunic. They usually did not wear any armor. They were divine beings - _holy_. No demon could seriously harm them. Her face was beautiful. One of those faces that inspired all the artists over centuries. And at the same time it was so incredebily ugly. At least it stirred only hated in your chest. Something your eyes didn't even try to hide.

But you? You were so much worse than demons and it made you laugh. You laughed so loud and that the Seraphim was greatly angered. Now you got her mad. But after everything they had done to you, they still needed on one of their best to chase you down?

The Serahphim watched you with cold grey eyes floating above you in the air and her wings beating strong and steady while she opened her right hand and summoned a spear out of pure light. A shining golden weapon manifested in front of you that put every demon back in to it's place. It did look fancy and more likely used to decorate a statue - but you knew better. The sharp weapon slowly lowered to your height and reflected your face on the blade. You didn't even recognise yourself. The look in your eyes was wild. 

There was only a few feet between you and the Seraph, but you braced for the impact as well. You certainly made her mad, the way her muscles had tensed around the weapon, how her jaw seemed to be working. The corner of your lips twitched up and you made sure to have your feet steady on the ground. The time for playing games was over. 

" ** _Die!_** "


	3. Lost

The Seraphim only had the intend to kill you, but you both knew that you could not be killed. The shell your soul was in could be broken over and over again. But the soul never fade. Your flesh maybe was meant to break but as long as there was even a spark of divinity in your body, you could not die. As long as there was something like hope left in your chest like a flattering hummingbird.

And while the Seraph was charging right at you, you only could ready yourself, your hands reaching out to catch the heavy weapon that was intended to harm you.  
But in order to kill you, they would have to literally destroy every cell of your body. And it didn't matter how but it had to happen fast and with it every bit of hope that existed in your heart needed to be erased from your soul. It was simple to explain: Even with most of your power ripped from your core, you healed as fast as a full divine being. A great mistake, which they clearly noticed by now. The past had shown very well how fire and blades were simply not enough.

A bitter laugh escaped your lips as you grabbed a part of the spear with deadly precision, catching the Seraph of guard. You looked so much weaker than you were. Your entire state was a damn mess but the fire that was burning in your eyes? The dedication you had right now - If there was a way to send an Angel to hell, you would find it right now and today.  
Beware a woman with nothing left to loose.

There still was an impact, you were clearly unable to stop the weapon from reaching your body but the sound that escaped your throat did sound feral as the spear pierced right through your shoulder. Thankfully you had been able to redirect the hit to a less fatal spot, making it easier to force the angel down on the ground with you. You had to create your chances, work on your fate. No one would do it for you.

  
"You could at least try to play fair.", you provoked her even more, your tone dead serious. Your grip was strong and tight, even as the pointy blade of the weapon slowly tore through your muscles, the bone cracking under the pressure. The wings of the Seraph brushing against your frame as they kept beating to apply even more pressure. You had your teeth gritted and kept your eyes locked to the face of your opponent. Should she see her end, should she watch the passion in your eyes.  
"Somone like you does not deserve the kindness of a fair fight.", the Angel spat right back into your face, the arch of the perfect brow making it clear for you that you needed to disarm that angel soon. Her voice had been just a whisper, a sigh against the curve of your ear. Like a soft, warm kiss on a foggy night in autumn, embraced by your lovers arms and covered by a blanket that was so thick, that it nearly made you instantly fall asleep.  
But this was different, no lovley kiss. No soft touch. This was not the slight tease of a lover, this was the warning of death itself.

Pure silver strands slowly were tinted with your blood that splattered from your wound. You were not as strong as the Seraph right now,but you were able to pull your legs up to your chest , straining your muscles as you hit your opponment into the stomach with both of your feet, leaving a muddy, slightly blood tainted imprint of your boots soles. That was good enough to get you off the spear. And at the same time you let go of the weapon and grabbed the long braid that was just perfectly in reach for you. Thankfully your weight and the element of surprose were enough to yank the Seraph down on the street to pull her right on the solid ground. Her glowing wings were flapping rapidly as she tried to get back up on her feet in time. She clearly hadn't seen that coming.

You pulled hard at the braid, dragging the angel over the rough surface of the street, pulling her through mud and concrete until the spear managed to stop your attack, it's blade digging into the ground with an awful sound that hurt your ears.  
"Where did you gather that strength?", you were asked with such a confusion, that you didn't trust your ears at first. Was she actually wondering about your determination?  
"You have no wings, no power. You are as _worthless_ as a mortal!"  
You breathed through, rolling aside to dodge the spear as she lunged at you again, growling as your shoulder felt like it was crushed from the impact. The sleeve of your lend jacket turned deeply red and you got up again, legs strong and secure. The ground was shaking but you did not falter. Slightly bouncing on your soles you tried to find a better position to stay. Legs shoulder wide, arms slightly raised. Breathing stable.  
"Mortals are so much _more_.", you replied and spat out some blood, flashing her a dangerous smile.  
"We have been watching forever. We always remember. And yet you were blind." You were mad, to insult someone who was send to kill you.

You were convinced about everything you had seen on your time here. Painful memories aside. There always was something that just proved how these fragile lives were special. And they needed to be protected. And you couldn't do this if you were interrupted by your past. It could haunt you as much as it wanted. But they had to learn it as well. You could simply not be the only one.  
"It is meaningless. You will be erased from this world."

The wings of your kin were no longer pure, the fight not even lasting for minutes. They still glowed slightly beneath the mud, splattering it around whenever they beat to keep her above the ground. Her feet were bare, as the angels saw no need for shoes of any kind. The Seraphim always thought about being worth so much more. So different, so _special_.  
But they were nothing special. Just beings that were toyed with, blind to the important things. You had to open their eyes at some point, if it had to be the hard way - so be it.

  
"You have failed before and you will always fail.", you whispered under your breath and dodged as the Serpah went for another attack, this time just hitting the ground as she had tried to stab you from above. Even after being robbed of everything that made you what you have been, you did not fear the fight. So _proud_.. But whoever could fly high, was falling deeply. And some day.. they all would fall. As the Last Judgment was approaching. So often told stories have always been wrong. You were the breathing and living proof of that.

  
And provoking your kind made it so much easier to fight. As they knew no rage, no emotions. They could not control it. But you could you have been through it all and this was your chance to use it against her.  
"Your words have no meaning,your wings have been clipped. You have nothing to stop me." Nothing? Oh, she was so wrong.  
"I need no wings. And you should have noticed that by now. Or are you really that blind?" You certainly didn't want to die here. Not to demons, not to the Seraphim. You had no intention of giving up so fast. And there was so much strength coursing through your veins right now. All thanks to the appearance of the holy being, the downfall of herself. She just didn't know it yet, How could she? She was so blind. With eyes so clear and so shrouded, that you only could feel shame as you saw into them. They were not burning with passion, just following orders. So empty - So dead. Have they never truly _lived?_

  
There was a deep fold between the brows of the angel, her face turning into something that could have been anger. But they didn't know anger, so what was it? All had to be so perfect. Free of any kind of weakness. Yet it left you confused for a moment. Was she finally realizing? You paid with the lack of focus as the spear hit you once more, this time cutting right through your upper left leg and leaving a deep gash that allowed the blood to run freely down your leg , thankfully not the important artery. The pain was there, you could feel it. But you had no choice but to ignore the pain. The Seraph lunged at you again and this time you avoided the attack by only an inch, turning on your right leg, passing the spear behind you back and reaching out to grab the Seraph by the neck. There was only one chance to make sure to not get in deeper trouble. Your grip was tight around the throat as you let yourself fall down on your knees, pulling her with you to meet the ground once more. The Seraph lost her grip on the spear and you rolled to the side. The perfect opportunity to pick up the holy weapon and direct it at the Seraph. How the tables have turned.

  
"You lost something.", you growled with a mocking smile and turned the spear once, waiting for your opponent to get up again. Unlike her, you somehow tried to be fair. "You're getting sloppy." Provoking a Seraph who only had a few scratches maybe a few bruises? Not the smartest idea. But you were the one with the mighty weapon now. And you planned to use it to your advantage.  
"I should have destroyed you before."  
"Do you just notice your mistake now? How many years did it take?"

  
The Seraph snarled but this time it was you who attacked. It felt so good to wield a holy weapon once again, but it was not made for you that you had to admit. It felt heavy. But it was what you owned right now - so you had to make it work. You aimed for the angels chest, but you missed and only scratched her shoulder. Holding on to the weapon you felt the grip of the Seraph around the solid bar as she tried to disarm you this time. Nope. You wanted to keep it. Rolling aside hurt like hell and you lost your balance while getting back up as your injured leg gave in, that was too much pressure at once. But at least the staff allowed yourself to keep standing straight in the end. Your body already tried to heal the wound, but as long as you had to use your leg, it would take a long while.  
While the Seraphim vanished from your side, you hastily tried to turn around, but she was over you and her wings beating so loud suddenly that you wanted to cover your ears.  
"You should know your place."

You didn't want to take this serious, but before you even managed to spot her, there was just warmth that spread through your back, getting hotter and hotter, until it felt like it was burning through your of skin, deeper and deeper until it was nearly impossible for you to even take a deep breath. It felt as if your skin was burning.   
Screaming in agony you ended on your knees, letting go of the weapon as you tried to hold yourself together, your arms tightly wrapped around you. Not again. Everything, but that!  
"You remember this, do you?", the voice above you started and feathers brushed against your cheek roughly as she bent down and picked the spear up again, raising it above your head with deadly precision.  
" _Let me enjoy this._ ", she hissed dangerously and the last bit of air was forced out of your lungs as her magic increased the feeling on your back. As if it they just did it again. The pain in past had left you unconscious for nearly a week.  
Slowly the spear made it's way through your shoulder blades, piercing straight into the scars of the past. And the scream that left your mouth this time was so much worse than you remembered it.

_Bare to the skin you sat on an antique altar, created by the first of humankind to worship your kin. Your arms were folded in front of your body, trying to preserve some dignity you still had. That you wished you still possessed. Your naked back was presented to a group of Seraphim, your six beautiful wings hanging low over the edge, the soft blueish glow barely visible. You were at your limit. Your love for something impure to strong. It was not allowed to be different. It was not allowed to ruin yourself. And to preserve the pure innocence of this place, you had to be banished. To walk the earth as a mere human._  
_Each of the angels around was wearing a mask, to prevent you from seeing their faces. And each of them was armed with a holy blade, only forged for this cause. You were the first and only one to ever cause such inconvenience. The first to prove herself as a mistake._

  
_You felt a harsh pull on the first wing as it was pulled taut. Burning metal scorched the skin just above the spot where the wing was touching your skin. It certainly was no clean cut. And you didn't know who it was - but the pain was horrible. Dozens of tiny cuts, as if created by a saw. The disgusting sound as they slowly managed to cut through the bone.. Your back was hot and cold, wet and dry. The pain was impossible to bear. It was so much, so much. So painful._

  
_As the first wing was cut down, they threw it in front of the Altar, openly for you to see and the former connected parts now soaked in a deep red._  
_Your eyes wandered to the ground, stray tears silently leaving your cheeks wet. The second wing followed shortly after, then the third. You wanted to pass out, the pain overwhelming you. But as much as you wanted to give in, the Seraphim behind you healed your wounds only to make things worse again and again. They wanted you to remain awake and alive. So you could suffer even more, learn about the mistakes you had done. They tried to show you something that simply wasn't there. And you wondered if they would notice before they ripped all the wings from your back._

  
_As the last wings landed in front of you, you felt even worse. The wounds were still bleeding and your eyes fluttering open again, the lids so heavy that it was a challenge to keep them opened. Swaying left and right you were trying to keep your balance, but your body was shaking so much that it was close to impossible to remain knelt here, your shoulders alreads lowered._  
_Show no weakness._

  
_But it hurt to see your beautiful wings spread on the ground covered in your blood. Blades were replaced now by torches and they ignited the feathers that have been so divine. It was so painful to see what happned. The flames eating their way through the feathers and you sobbed openly now. Soon there was nothing left but ashes. But no, they were not done with you just yet._  
_The bleeding did not stop and they no longer cared. Instead they dropped you of in front of church in Fortuna, bare as you were. Not even giving you a simple robe to cover yourself. Nothing. You did not deserve kindness._

  
_You could feel cold stairs below your body, a chilly wind that grazed your burned skin. Your blood painted the tiles in a deep red and your breathing was labored and short._  
_The night was without any mercy, darkness surrounded you until a heavy door was opened in front of you, the flames dancing in the background. Whoever found you, there was no way for you to hear or see. You passed out the moment strong arms went under your form to carry you inside._

Wounds of the past were ripped open, the blood tainting your skin once more. It was not as bad as in the past, as this time no one could cut of your wings. But it did hurt so, so much. You could picture the wings on the floor how they started to burn and dissolve into ashes, carried away by holy winds.  
The Seraph behind you buried the spear deeper into your body until it broke through your rib cage, impaling you right on the spot. Your arms loosely rested on your side, blood dripping over your lips as your eyes glazed over and slowly lost their shine. Your lips were parted, your fingertips scrapping over the wet ground. It was the spear that kept you upright this time, no willpower. No energy. It just all vanished with a a breath. The momeries had been overwhelming you.

  
Would you simply just die here? After you had felt so strong? It seemed like you could just not let go of the past. It did haunt you, even now. And that only made it so much worse. You had _accepted_ your fate. It was what you had wished for. To live among the humans, be part of them. A fate that would have been fair in your eyes. But what was it, that had upset the divine so much that they wanted to erase you from this world?

  
"Where is your mockery now, _fallen one_?", you heard the Seraph whisper into your ear, adjusting the spear so the wound it left in your chest grew in size, forcing a groan out of your throat, more blood running over your lips and painting your chin red.  
"Did you loose your ability to speak?", she further asked and twisted her weapon in your flesh again. The pain would fade eventually and you blinked slowly, trying to breath normaly again. Like you were wrapped in cotton.  
"Did you finally loose your will to live? There is nothing left for you here. No one that cares about you."

  
These words probably hurt more than the weapon that had ripped your body open. No one that cared about you? That was not true. Deep down your soul you knew that the Seraph was lying. As long as you kept that spark of hope they couldn't destroy you. That was the thought that kept your heart beating, bringing you back from the brink of death over and over again. She had made a mistake.   
"You..You're..wrong.", you muttered breathless and nearly choked on your blood, forcing yourself to inhale.  
"What did you say?"  
"You. Are. _Wrong_." It did cost you a lot of strength to mouth these words, but you couldn't accept death so easy. You came all this way.. 

  
The grip around the spear loosened and the Seraph knelt down in front of you, her long nails digging into your skin as she raised your face. Your eyes were still hazy, but you blinked slowly to clear your sight to hold her cold stare.  
"You are foolish to believe in something that never existed. What do the humans call it.. _Love_?", the Angel nearly spat in your face. Finally your sight got clear and you did not try to behave, instead you spat in her face, dark red dots ruining her so perfect skin. This time it was you, twisting a knife that she could not see. Every second you did not give in, was hurting her just as much. And as she provoked you, she just digged herself a grave. 

  
You had been willing to loose everything, covering your wounds perfectly in the past. But underneath them there still had been hope. Million voices had been whispering in your ear to stop. But over the years you had learned to ignore them, muffle them out by the melodies of life. But now they were back and again asking you to stop. But as you had been able to rise from the ashes in the past, it would hardly be different now. The whispering voices just got louder and louder until they nearly were screaming at you. You needed to ignore them once more. You had to ignore them, there was no other choice. It was all just in your mind, frightening you.. But you were armed this time. But what could you do now, the odds clearly have turned against you. Have you tried to chew on something bigger than you could handle. The rain from before had left a puddle on the street mixed with your blood. But faintly you could see your reflection that stared back. trying to pull your moral down. The sight was depressing and yet.. You were able to find the strength to smile. You have seen that look once already. It was not unfamiliar to you.

"Love does exist, _bitch!_ " Angels did not know about vulgar language, but living among the humans for such a long time - you certainly did not care about your behaviour now. With shaking legs you got up and wiped your mouth clean using the back of your hand. "And that is something you or any other Seraph will _never_ , **ever** understand.", you growled with new found strength. It was a mystery for you how you were looking for a way out, even if you were corned and apparently had no choice left. The thought of _Love_ \- _being loved_ \- fueled your body with nearly limitless energy. Even if it was just for a short moment. But you had to make it count. You desperetaly grabbed any kind of spark you could find. As long as you did not give up, you could not die.

  
The Seraph was not happy to see you stand, her weapon stuck in your torso - but as a Seraphim or not - you were just as immortal as your enemy, that she realized now. Your hand grabbed the blade of the spear so you could pull at it roughly, forcing it through your wound. The widest past already had passed your flesh, but it still hurt. You gritted your teeth and kept pulling until you reached the handle, more and more - until you had her weapon in your posession again. And like this the wound could start to close again. Slowly but in time you would be as good as new. The Seraph raised herself once more, her feet leaving the ground once she started to fly again, her wings beating rapidly. Was that panic?

  
"What a foul mouth you have.", the Seraph said and you looked up - using the spear to keep her on distance, your blood steady dripping down the weapon. Oh, how you enjoyed to make her suffer now. You wanted to avenge the world of humans. You did not want revenge for yourself or anything you have went through. After all, what they had done to you..had been leading to really wonderful things. To life and most importantly love.

  
"Oh sorry, did I hurt your non existent feelings?", you spat, feeling stronger and stronger with every moment that passed. Seraphim had no experience. Not even in fighting. They were sloppy compared to you or the demons. Of course she was not prepared to fight someone who didn't give up or kept fighting against all the odds. Humanity was an odd concept, but once you understood it... It was a strength that still searched for something that could match it. No demon or divine being could keep up with this. ANd that made them so fascinating.

  
Your next attack did not go for the body of the Angel, but you went for one of her wings, ripping a big hole into them as threw the spear, but you went right after it to pull the weapon out once the damage was done, aiming for the next wing. That certainly would slow her down. No matter how much she was fighting it. Two wings greatly injured, ripping the weapon out of the feathers was so oddly satisfying. This time it was her blood splattering your face and her scream that tore through the silence. Element of surprise, Bitch. She barely realised what happened to her. The audacity you had to attack her glorious wings!

  
The Seraphs face was scrunched up in pain and you threw the spear at her chest, but this time she caught it and turned it back towards you. Now she eventually knew how you had felt. It was nothing compared to what you endured but it was a glimpse of it. A smug grin showed on your face and you moved aside to avoid getting hit. She was unable to fly straight now. You hadn't injured her badly but yet effective. Now the fight was turning to your favour again! ...So you thought.

  
For once there was rage on the face of the Seraph and she moved so fast, that you couldn't react and impaled you once more before rising high in the sky.

"I have heard enough, _Fallen_." As cold as she tried to sound, you were able to notice the pain in her tone, how she shaked no matter how strong she tried to be. As the weapon left your chest once more, she picked you up on your wrist and pulled you along. This was certainly not how you had imagined to fly and you wondered what her plan was. Her wings were beating strong, moving slightly to the west until there was no more streets only water below your feet. You tried to get out of her grip but she just tightenend it.

  
"Let's see how you manage this time.", you heard her say and you stared up to her, as she threw you up in the air, appearing above you in a flash and aimed precisley with her spear as she watched it fly towards you. You were unable to fight in the air. Right now you were helpless and that she clearly abused. If she had no other way to fight you, she had to play dirty now. It hurt. It hurt so badly. And you felt so awakwardly light now, caressed by the wind as it wrapped around you like a blanket. You had no wings, no balance, nothing to hold on to. Tears were fighting their way up into your eyes and you were unable to reach up and wipe them away, your arms barely following your command. Unable to face what was waiting for you below, you stared at the spear that was rushing towards you and pierced your abdomen this time. The impact made it impossible to slow the fall down. And as sadistic as the Seraph now was, she repeated this attack over and over again. Until you barely were able to stay awake, pain dominating in your head. But you felt so much, even with the weakness that crawled into your bones, that it was overwhelming you in your last moments. Like love, sadness and hope. But also pain and being lost. Lost in darkness that slowly swallowed you, dragging you into a pit that you could not escape from.

This was not fair. You couldn't die. You couldn't give up. _You had so much to do_.

The last thing you heard was her triumphant laugh that slowly turned into someone calling out your _name_.

The last thing you saw, was the angel above you, slowly replaced by a familiar face and a warm, comforting smile. A stark contrast to the steel-like eyes.

The last thing you felt was your back hitting the surface of water while every single bone of your body got crushed during the impact.


	4. Found

The world was a blur of colors. A dark mess of mixed sounds and suppressed feelings. The world was all dark and quiet for you. And somehow it felt comfortable. Such an odd feeling as if you belonged here. You had thought it would be cold and harsh. But it was oddly warm. Warm and soft. That was not what you had expected and certainly not what you deserved. After everything you had done. But you could not name why you were so comfortable. It felt as if were you were wrapped in cotton. And breathing.. breathing was so hard, at first it didn't feel as if you were able to do this simple task. But with time oxygen was filling your lungs again. It burned whenever you inhaled, up to a point that made you cough frantic and forced your eyes open.

What greeted you was bright and without solid form, just a mess of white and gray and ...blue. You could hear something, until you noticed it was your very own breathing. Why was it so damn loud? Between your breaths you could noticed something else. A voice. The voice of a man - even if you could not understand what it was saying. What language was this? Where did that voice come from? Who did it belong to?

You turned your head to the side, and it felt like it was rolling of your shoulders. Every movement so heavy and so exhausting that you got swallowed by darkness again. You welcomed it this time, as now everything was quiet once more. No heavy breathing, no voice that spoke muffled words. So peaceful. You maybe wanted to stay here. Away from all the light and noise. How comfortable it seemed and unreal. Wouldn't be so bad to remain in the dark. No pain, no fear. Just you and your thoughts, they were not clear but less chaotic than anything that had been happening around you in the past half hour.

The next time it was easier for you to slip back in to the waking world, some nonesense words reaching your ear now and then. Words that made no sense to you just yet. Maybe it didn't have to make sense. At some point you surely would figure out what all this blabbering was about. Right now you just focused on the sound that was oddly comforthing to you, as it was so much clearer now, not as muffled as before. With each passing word, it slowly started to make sense in your head. Bit by bit you put the fragmets together and gave your brain some work to do. It was one person speak, a single man talking somehwere in your darkness. It didn't sound like he was talking to someone specifly, more like to himself. There was a quiet groan and you leaned your head slightly to the side, noticing something soft under your cheek. It comforted your head in the most delightful way and felt like a cloud to lay on. You managed to open your eyes this time and blinked against the blur, your eyelashes scrapping over the soft material of the pillow your head was resting on. The talking stopped and a few soft yet well placed footsteps sound off on your right until they died down just as quickly as they had been noticed by you. You didn't try to follow them, your hearing was not good enough for that right now. Yet you groaned softly and tried to wet your lips. But your mouth and tongue felt like they have been stranded in the desert.

Water would be great and you did not even have to ask for it, a cool glass was lifted to your lips and water spilled over it slowly filling your mouth as you failed to swallow it fast eonugh. It was delicous, cold and actually fresh! The glass was taken away quietly and a cloth gently dried your face.  
You felt that you actually smiled. Maybe it was caused by the gentle gesture, or the taste of fresh water. But it did not matter now. It had maybe just been a single sip of water, but it had been the best sip of water you ever had before. That was not heaven, it coudn't even come close to this. That was what paradise tasted like. Thankfully you didn't choke on the few drops, so you could mutter a weak thanks. You were not fully awake yet, but this was something you had to manage. But sadly, your voice failed and whatever left your mouth was only a scratchy noise that was pitiable. Silence followed and you drifted off once more, not minding the depths of sleep that slowly wrapped around you.

  
The next time that you woke up, it was after some refreshing sleep, no longer dancing around with death anymore. It had been an intense dance but in the end you had been the one leading. The sound of distant voices and footsetps was loud enough for you to hear. Several people, different kind of steps. You yawned and turned your head towards the dim lightsource of the room. A rather small window covered by cream coloured curtains. Still there was some light shining through the crinckled folds at the bottom, which got moved gentle by wind and tt carried the scent of a fresh day into the room you were laying in.

  
Every muscle inside of your body felt stiff and heavy, but after laying on a soft mattress for so long, it was no real surprise. Your fingertips felt the thick blanket underneath as you moved them, trying to make use of your bones in your hand, knuckles cracking slightly, hands feeling foreign as they finally moved under your command. Your toes you could feel, still hidden under the blanket. Comfortable, warm and soft. A heavy sigh turned into a long deep yawn as you tried to wake yourself up properly. Get the brain back into working effective again. Took quite a while to make all the gears click back into place. You wondered how long you exactly have been out. By the weakness of your body it might have been a solid week without food. But you were not dehydrated. Someone had made sure that you would be fine. A few more times you blinked, then your sight was almost clear. Your head was still too heavy to lift up, so you enjoyed the games the wind was playing with the curtain, how the sound of laughter and simple conversations passed by. Step by step. Second after second.

  
About an hour passed before the white door to your room opened and a nurse entered, on her tray she carried a bowl with something slightly steaming on it. She greeted you with a soft smile and placed the bowl on the nightstand to your left. After that she checked on your vitals and noted a few things down. She seemed satisfied with the outcome and explained you a few things, while you tried to listen to all of it. But it was not easy to focus. The only thing you actually managed to remember, was the fact that apparently someone had told her that you were awake now. So someone had been here. Someone had been watching you? You wanted to ask her who it had been, but your voice failed badly again. Such a shame.

  
"Take your time sweetheart. You were out for over a week." Her voice was gentle, somehow soothing. Perhaps just what you needed to hear right now. She sat down next to you and started to feed the contents of the bowl to you. By the taste of it, it was a simple soup, cooked with chicken and lots of vegetables. And the weird feeling in your mouth proved you right - even some tiny noodles. Whatever it was, it was tasty and not too hot or spicty. A simply broth. Your stomach rumbled approving and you took your time to swallow each serving. The friendly nurse with the brown up-do was patient as well. Everytime she dipped the spoon into the bowl, she made sure that it was not too hot for you so you would not burn yourself by accident. And whenever you spilled something, she was kind enough to wipe your mouth before feeding you the next bit. There was no judging, just a lovely smile from eyes that were showing fine wrinkles now and then. She probably had seen alot. But she also seemed relieved that you were recovering and not dead.

  
Days passed by, always repeating. It was the same nurse that looked after your everyday and she took good care of you. And with time you even found the strength to ask for the one who had been with you. The male voice you heard before. But the answer was not really what you had expected.  
"Oh, he found you in front of the church. He's currently studying the Order of the swords." You only halfly understood what she meant by that but it was important enough to get mentioned so it seemed.. Your brain tried to work out what mattered about the information.. With some time you would manage that. Order of the Sword. Remember that, you told yourself. 

  
"Today we're bathing you." To be fair and honest you did not smell. Whatever they had done to you to make sure you didn't have the scent of death clinging to you - it worked. It was no big secret as you were told later. Only a washcloth and soap. Oh and a lot of time and patience.

The Nurse helped you to sit up first, making sure to give you all the time that you needed to move on. But you were in a much better shape than she thought. You still took it slow, after such a long time of laying around and being unable to move it still took both of you about half an hour to get you to the bathroom, a tiny place but with enough space to have an actual bathtub, a sink and a toilet in it. Even enough space for a chair for the nurse to sit on. How did humans manage that?  
She took her time to undress you carefully and helped you to get into the lukewarm water. It smelled nice. Somehow herbal, like tea. You were advised to just sit down, lean back and soak yourself for as long as you liked, she would make sure that you wouldn't drown by accident if you fell asleep. You used the time to count the tiles that were on the wall, tiny and white with pale symbols in a darker shade of white? Cream? Whatever they were supposed to be or show - it didn't make any sense to you. Was that suppoed to be some sort of human art? It was just placed randomly and without any sense of style.

After a while the nurse handed you a sponge with some soap on it, asking you to gently rub your skin and avoid moving if it might hurt. That the worst part was your back, she didn't tell you. As long as you didn't feel it, it was nearly fine. The solid wall of the bathub felt a bit cold, compared to the water but the pressure wasn't as bad as you thought it would be. And if you got the reaction of the nurse right it didn't look as horrific as you thought it would. It also helped that the water only reached up to the half of your stomach, your knees you still had to bend slightly as you tried to relax a bit more. But this space was too small to properly stretch out. But a different position wouldn't harm your muscles, so the Nurse said.

  
Once more she told you to relax, while she would wash your hair and rinse the shampoo out. Detangling was in order as well and she really was gentle, but you could imagine that she wanted to curse now and then. Seemed like she had done this a few times on your head. Otherwise it would have been so much worse. She probably could cast some magic to keep your hair from turning into a big knot that was hopeless to brush through.  
As the water was about to be really cold, she helped you to get up again, making sure you always were able to stand on solid ground or balance yourself out, so you wouldn't trip and break your neck. Your feet met a rather rough rug and you moved your toes with fascination and waited while the nurse dried your body carefully. After the Nurse was satisfied with drying your skin she applied some cream on your skin, asking now and then if it felt alright. It was a little cool and smelled nice, so you hummed in approval. After she was done, you were handed a new nightgown to wear.

With a little bit of courage you finally managed to ask for the Nurse's name. It was Clara. It did sound fitting, as she seemed to be such a gentle soul. So caring and nice! But as she asked for own name, you actually felt trapped and lost.  
"I don't know..", you replied confused as she tied up the nightgown in the back and made sure it was sitting at the right spot. "No rush, sweetheart."

Clara offered her ellbow and you took it, using the support to walk back to the bed every step feeling a little bit more secure. Your hair had been wrapped in a towel to help dry it, but she decided against closing the window. "You need the oxygen. And you won't get a cold. Promise." And you did believe her. You probably would believe every single word she said. Maybe it was the tone of her voice or the way she looked at you. But something deep inside made you believe that she _knew_.

  
You recovered quickly, much to the surprise of your caring nurse. Whatever had been supposed to be training, didn't seem to be necessary. Your muscles remembered quickly how to work properly and didn't need any aid to return to their normal function.  
There was a time where you didn't have to be watched by Clara. She still showed up everyday and gave you meals, telling you that it was her time off and she wanted to check on you. She even brought you a set of fitting clothes. Apparently they were given by charity and as you didn't own anything on your own, not even a document that gave you an identity, you were given a few things to start your life again.

Not even Clara dared to asked what happened to you. But the way she sometimes watched you... It wasn't uncomfortable but you couldn't name the feeling yet. It was simply odd, as you tried you name it.. Nothing showed up in your head . So you accepted it and just smiled faintly whenever you saw her. 

  
As you recovered so quickly and well, you no longer were forced to stay in your room. Small walks around the area to get to know your surroundings. You took your time to explore, still returning to your room everyday to keep up some routines. Until you found something else - you a were allowed to stay here as well. They called it _charity_ or something like that. You were grateful for the help. And if you ever got a chance to repay them, you certainly would use it. But there was still no sign of that stranger who had found you. To be honest, you had used your last walks not only to have a look around the area, but also to find the person who had brought you here in the first place. According to Clara he did have quite the big interest in your recovery during the first days. But no sign ever since you woke up. Huh.

  
In the end nightime was falling and you enjoyed the fullmoon tonight as you went to bed after your daily routine. Clara had suggested that you start to do something everyday - just to help yourself to remember your name or any fragments of the past. You weren't sure if you could ever give her an honest answer, but she somehow deserved it. After taking care of you for so long. For you it felt like she had cared.. honestly. You stretched your legs after sitting down on the mattress, watching the art that was created by the moonlight. Shadows of branches dancing on the ground of your room, only visible as they were illuminated by the moon in the perfect angle now and then. Still, after wrapping yourself in the blanket and fighting your eyelids for a while you dozed off into a nice slumber not to be disturbed.

After a wile you noticed a shift in the air. You would have missed it, if you weren't a divine being - injured or not. Your senses were a _little_ bit sharper than humans. The room felt slightly colder - different. While your back faced the door you opened your eyes only a bit to allow them to get used to the darkness. Something - No - _Someone_ was here. You tried to breathe normally, to not give away that you were actually awake. And it seemed to work rather well. You caught a silver shimmer but it was gone before you could focus on it. But the coldness stayed. Perhaps it wasn't exactly something cold, like a breeze. You were not shivering and still dovered by your blanket. But this was a feeling that managed to crawl into your bones and settle deep down.

Danger. Your heart started to beat faster and it felt like it was too loud for your ribcage. You should be scared, scared for your life. But you weren't. Instead you focused on your surroundings, just the way you had learned in the past and smiled. One person. Human but also a demon. And if you could feel it... he probably knew that something was off.

  
The moment you sat up straight in your bed, the glow of cold eyes graced your view. It looked fascinating. Dangerous and somehow sad in the moonlight. His stare was intense and you wondered if he actually was breathing while he focused completly on your form.

  
"You are in my room." Even whispering was too loud and you did sound a little bit cranky. Those eyes..., the longer you looked at them, the more they seemed to be familiar. But you could not place them yet. Where have you seen them before?

Not knowing about your internal struggle, the tall man just watched you. He seemed young, by his appearence you would guess he perhaps was in his early twenties. He kept watching yo, as if everything you did - even breathing - was too much too handle or to dangerous to be ignored.

  
"I suppose I have to explain myself.", he started and you noticed how he shifted his weight slightly, his form relaxing a tiny bit. It certainly was not much but enough to notice - even if he was carrying a sword around. Was that even allowed? At least it was sheathed and not pointed at you.  
"I suppose you do.", you replied and pushed the blanket aside and tried to get up, his stance shifting in an instant and you kept yourself seated on the mattress while your feet touched the cold floor. Alright. He was tensed up and you didn't exactly want to push your luck. But what did he expect? For you to jump at him with no weapon and hit him with your pillow? Sure, it was an option. But none that you considered right now - for that you cherished the soft thing way too much. And he gave you every reason to attack him - besides being in your _locked_ room in the middle of the night, with a weapon in his hand. But if he had wanted to cause any harm, he could have already tried to harm you. That was something that people did. Break in into a safe place and murder or steal, to make it short: To cause chaos.

  
"I'm waiting.", you nearly sang and it seemed like the half-demon actually struggled to find the right words. But you couldn't understand why. He was the one who had intruded you with something in his mind. You were the victim here. He cleared his throated and looked to the ground, to the shadowplay of the moon and back to you.  
"I am the one who found you."  
You made a face at his words and frowned. He was not exactly serious, was he? Finding you gave him _no_ right to enter your room unasked and fucking armed. You were pretty sure that the room had been locked, like you were told to do every single night. With a slight growl you eyed him and waited for something else to follow up. Your frown deeppend as he seemed to be confused by the lack of an response from your side. What did he expect? That you would fall on your knees and be grateful about him as an intruder? You took a deep breath and clicked your tongue. Well, how were you supposed to adress this? This was the man that had been so interested in yourself? You somehow had imagined him to be a bit more respectful. Or know about morals. And modesty. You were just wearing a nightgown.

  
"Don't you think it is a bit creepy to show up in the middle of the night, in the room of a woman - armed?", you asked and your voice was laced with such a sweet tone, that he visibly flinched. He might not have expected someone to speak to him like that. At least not in that kind of tone and it hadn't helped that you were smiling the entire time. Let's see how you could approach this. He did seem to be in need of help to explain himself. "I am grateful about you being..the one who found me and making sure that I recieve help... But that does not explain how you entered my room. Or ...why exactly." You did not sound as friendly as before, more likely curious with a warning undertone. He still wasn't answering, clearly confused by your choice of words. His own fault. But you could see his jaw working, the pale light couldn't hide this even as he tried to turn half away from you. It was perhaps amusing to see how someone could struggle after you just spoke directly about what they did. Seemed like a demon was no exepction of that.

Tilting your head to the side you batted your eyelashes and watched him, patiently waiting for the man to find the right words. And you had time. The entire night. The next day, it didn't matter. You would get your answers.  
But you saw it in his eyes, that he finally came to an conclusion and used his tongue to wet his lips before he finally managed to speak. He turned towards you again and his entire posture seemed to change once more. Less tensed up than before.  
"I found you in front of the church, bare and bleeding out.", he started and kept his eyes up this time, not even thinking about looking away

."At first I thought you were simple human, left to die. But in the end...I felt something that was not human. Otherworldy and I feared that you might disturb this place." It did sound like he also meant something else. Maybe you have been disturbing him in his research. He was the one researching the Order of the Sword, if you recalled it correctly.

  
"So you feared I would unleash hell on earth?", you asked with a half smile and a slight chuckle on your lips.  
He did hesitate for a moment, but then you could see a faint nod. If his silver hair wouldn't move with that motion, you wouldn't even have noticed in the first place. But there was something else, seemed like he wasn't done yet. Maybe he wanted to add somethi-  
"..But in your state you were no danger to anyone. But it was...fascinating. To hear about your miracle recovery... I simply was interested. And couldn't pass this door without..checking on you. " It seemed like he was speaking the truth otherwise he would have avoided to look into your eyes. But there was something you should clarify right away, at least for yourself. You were the very first of you kind to ever walk the earth, of course no one knew what that   
feeling' was. Thinking of it, that also could have caused the reaction the mortals had towards you. Fascinating, yes. But it was not out of their interest. They simply were drawn to your divine being and not to you as a person.  
Perhaps that even made you a little sad. No one was looking beyond the shell that held your soul. So you understood his reaction. He cared for the people here.

A spark of sadness crossed you eyes and you sat back on your bed, pulling the blanket back in place.  
"I assure you, that I mean no harm to anyone. But I am sure that you also understand my point of view.. This entire situation was...Not the greatest thing to wake up if I am honest with you." Maybe it was the soft tone in your voice, that made him actually look away as if you had hurt his. His posture changed once more and he hid the blade behind his back, while he also bowed his head. Silver strands falling over his eyes and making it impossible for you to look at him properly. "I offer you my sincere apologies."

The only thing that was now missing, that he knelt in front of you or fully bend over or something like that. Thankfully he didn't do that. But he was standing there, unmoving. Like a solid statue cut out of marble. Even his jaw was so tensed up, that you thought it might crack under the pressure. What was he waiting for?.. Oh. Realisation hit you like a wave and you smiled softly. He might be a demon but it seemed like had at least a few manners, even if you had to dig them up first.

"Apology accepted. But if you don't mind, we can continue this tomorrow and I will answer your questions." The demon relaxed and you caught a look at his eyes. It was not a clear blue. But it was pretty in it's very own way. But you had to see it in daylight to specify it even if your ability to see was otherworldy as well. It still took time to get used to it.  
He raised his head and looked at you. Was there the hint of a smile in the corner of his lips? Maybe. It was hard to tell with the harsh shadows of the night.  
"Very well. I shall meet you tomorrow." Those words felt like silk. You didn't know why, but you liked the sound of that small promise.

  
"Would the stranger be so kind and give me his name? Or shall I call you 'Demon?'", you asked him. He didn't seem to be surprised. Good. Lesson learned.  
"Of course. You may call me Vergil." "It is nice to meet you, Vergil." 

As you opened your eyes the next time, there was a welcome darkness around. A darkness that was warm and like a soft embrace, a glowing orb just in front of your chest, floating above your palm as you reunited yourself with the cherished memory of a meeting that you would never forget. No one could take that from you. Still you knew where you were. Or what had happened. But there was no pain like you had expected. Even as your body should have been shattered into pieces. You should not be able to think. To breathe. To live. But here you were. And you knew why. The soft glow that was familiar to you had been protecting you.

  
What once was lost, finally returned.  
Your wings were wrapped around your now healed form, like a flower protecting herself. But now you were blooming - the wings slowlyt revealing you, floating high above the water that had been supposed to be your grave. And what you saw as soon as the feathers moved out of the way, was the shocked face of the Seraph that had tried and failed once more to kill you.  
And this time she would regret it badly, you would make sure of that.

A few seconds passed and you smiled, actually enjoying the panic that seemed to sink into the Seraphs bones. Her features changed into something grotesque and you felt your lips twitch up into a smirk. Good. That was panic. If she would have done it well at least once, she wouldn't have to deal with you now.

"Looks like someone is mad.", you started and lifted your right arm, focusing on the light that you carried within you, ignoring the growl and the curse of the Seraphim, as started to summon your weapon, the buzz of power vibrating through the air.

  
"You know.. there is something fascinating about us.", you continued to tease her and felt the weapon of old times manifest in your hand, to bright for her to watch so she quickly raised her weapon as she knew what was going to happen next trying to not get blinded but the glory that was you. But it was already too late. Crystals gathered around you, connected by blue and golden light and created theweapon that was worthy of you. _Elysium_. Your old friend and with it, your strength was fully restored. Now this was going to be a short battle. 

The perfecly balanced two-edged blade was forged out of mythril pointing straight at the Seraph, while a set of crystalilne feathers created the beautifully ornamented, curved pommel that closed around the grip and your hand. The crossguard was just wide enough to cover yourhand and support your hand in battle - but this weapon was not meant to allow anyone to get close anyone. And you would prove her just that.

"We are so damn hard to kill."


End file.
